Kazakhstan aims to amp up grain, fodder exports to Iran
The main aim of the visit was to reach mutually beneficial agreements in accordance with President Nazarbayev's instructions to attract foreign investments to the country's' agro-industrial complex and increase its export potential.
Particular attention was paid to accessing Iranian market with Kazakhstani animal products.
It should be noted that earlier this year, the countries have already agreed on veterinary requirements to start the supply of live sheep and chilled lamb from Kazakhstan. During the visit, Askar Myrzakhmetov met with the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Shariatmadari to discuss lifting the restrictions on import of Kazakh wheat and the abolition by the Government of Iran of the "flag tax" in order to create equal conditions between Kazakh and Iranian shipping companies in the Caspian Sea.
Lifting the restrictions on wheat import from Kazakhstan was also discussed during Askar Myrzakhmetov's meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Jihad of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Hojjati. The sides also discussed the issues of attracting investment, speeding up approval of certificates for several types of animal products and Iran's requirements for cattle, frozen and chilled beef imports from Kazakhstan.
The meetings resulted in reaching agreements on the possibility of launching joint investment projects in rice and priority oilseeds production and processing with their further export through the Caspian Sea ports to Iran. Iran also expressed readiness to provide seeds of rice varieties that are in demand on the Iranian market. To this end, an appropriate plan for the implementation of the investment project will be developed.
In addition, within the framework of Kazakh delegation's visit to Iran, the sides agreed on the frozen lamb supply to Iran.
The Iranian side also suggested processing Kazakh wheat at Iranian milling plants in order to sell the processed products to other countries using Iran's transit potential.
In order to monitor the effectiveness and solve existing and emerging issues, the parties agreed to establish a working group.
It should be noted that in addition to this, JSC NC Food Corporation carried out work to expand export flows to Iran. In particular, a memorandum on the supply of cereals in the amount of 100 thousand tons was signed, as well as a contract for the supply of 2 thousand tons of chilled mutton carcasses of the Iranian company Tadbir Support and Development of Agricultural and livestock Infrastructures Co. Also, an agreement was reached with the Iran Feed Industry Association to export 200 thousand tons of fodder crops by the end of 2017, including rapeseed, oilcake, barley.
